We hang with Sameer Gupta, the tabla upstart, drummer and musical director of the project and listen to a live performance from Pioneer Works. If you want to hear it all you’ll have to get the album though!

The original lineup of the group heard on the recording here. Pictured at Pioneer Works

Just before we left for Cuba to record for this podcast, Brooklyn Raga Massive’s Raga Cubana feat. Roman Diaz, had an intimate concert to get ready for our sold out concert a month later at the Rubin Museum of Art.

Here we are trying new things and feeling the hometown energy and love from the Raga Massive Jam Session at the Art Cafe

With

Román Díaz (conductor, batá: iyá )

Giancarlo Luigi (shekere)

Clemente la Tierra (batá: okónkolo)

Melvis Santa (vocals)

Folasona Olorunsola (batá: itótele)

Ehren Hanson (tabla)

Jay Gandhi (bansuri)

David Ellenbogen (guitar)

Arun Ramamurthy (violin)

Michael Gam (bass)

Camila Celin (Sarod)

Raga Cubana at the Rubin Museum of Art last Week with Sandy Perez and Vanessa Ayaba Irawo sitting in for Melvis Santa.

Last month, maestro Román Díaz brought a world class group of Afro-Cuban musicians to perform with the Brooklyn Raga Massive All-Stars during the artist collective’s epic residency at Pioneer Works. We’ll share the recording of that innovative concert, where, for the first time, sarod, bansuri and Carnatic violin dialogue with Afro-Cuban vocals and the sacred Batá drums. This concert will air on WKCR 89.9 FM 7-9pm Sunday May 22nd.